So I'm home again. £505 for the tyres (yes, TYRES!!!) and alignment, and booked in for new brakes on Tuesday, a futher £440. Just what I need right after Christmas.

Does the UK require gold-filled tyres (do we pronounce this tie-rez or Tee-rez?) This is where riding a motorcycle pays off; we only replace two instead of four. Of course, we do slip around a bit in the snow... I guess there is a balance that needs be struck.

Does the UK require gold-filled tyres (do we pronounce this tie-rez or Tee-rez?) This is where riding a motorcycle pays off; we only replace two instead of four. Of course, we do slip around a bit in the snow... I guess there is a balance that needs be struck.

Stitchawl

You pronounce it tie-ers. I wish they were gold-filled, at least they'd have a resale value. Actually they are nitrogen filled, as apparently that deflates more slowly.

You pronounce it tie-ers. I wish they were gold-filled, at least they'd have a resale value. Actually they are nitrogen filled, as apparently that deflates more slowly.

Nitrogen is used as tie-er fill because it doesn't heat up as much as ordinary air when driving on the highways. Heat is the biggest cause of tire failure along with punctures. That's why we are told to check pressure when the tires are cold, and not run them under-inflated. The heat build-up from running on tires that are even just a little bit soft is astounding!

The use of nitrogen for tires began on the race tracks, spread into long distance truck tires, motorcycle tire use, and now is becoming common for commuter auto tires.

It's funny... I spend so much effort to avoid nitrogen when diving, then have to go back to my repair shop just to get nitrogen for my bike tires!

Long Johns should be worn INDOORS. Don’t even bother going outdoors. Don’t even look at the outdoors, unless you have Long Johns for your eyes. It’s that cold. Just grab some comic books and some hot chocolate and go back to bed. When it’s nice out, someone will tell you.